The rumors of the demise of Ezekiel Elliott have been greatly exaggerated, and we have a red-hot betting pick for the 2022 NFL season at great odds.
Elliott has been the bellcow RB for the Dallas Cowboys since being drafted at #4 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.
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‘Zeke’ was terrific in his first four seasons in the NFL, but things have gradually fallen off in the last two seasons. That $90million contract extension the Cowboys gave him in 2019 is looking like a huge mistake.
But is Elliott really done? Or is there life in this one-time great RB? Let’s look in more detail.
Ezekiel Elliott Rushing Yards in 2022
Zeke finished the 2021 season with 1002 rushing yards and 10 TDs, so you might be surprised to see his Over/Under for the 2022 season.
Right now the line is set at 850.5 yards by DraftKings, and you can get -112 (bet $112 to win $100) for either outcome.
Elliott’s numbers since coming into the league are as follows:
- 2016: 1631 rushing yards
- 2017: 983 rushing yards*
- 2018: 1434 rushing yards
- 2019: 1357 rushing yards
- 2020: 979 rushing yards
- 2021: 1002 rushing yards
* Missed six games due to suspension
Ezekiel Elliott Betting Pick for 2022
So looking at those numbers we just showed you, you’d be thinking Elliott is on the downside and like all great RBs, his shelf life as a top-tier talent is pretty much over. Right? Well, not so fast.
If we look deeper into that 2021 season we would argue it was actually something to be encouraged by!
If you follow the news coming out of Dallas every day (like we do) you’d know that Elliott suffered a torn PCL in his knee early in the season and played through it for the entirety of the year. Absolute warrior.
This really explains why Zeke looked absolutely terrific early in the season, before his burst and ability to get into the open field was really ended by that injury. From then on he was just being a team player.
So far Dallas has resisted the temptation and clamor in the Metroplex to make Tony Pollard the feature back, and we expect Zeke to get the bulk of the carries again in 2022. He is healthy again and this is effectively a contract year for him. He’s unlikely to be in Dallas in 2023 based on those contract numbers, and it is the first offseason upcoming where the Cowboys could release him.
So there is a lot on the line for Elliott, and that 850.5 looks pretty small when you consider he racked up 1002 with a horrible knee injury limiting his production in 2021.
You should also factor in the Dallas passing attack, which will certainly be depleted for the first few weeks of the 2022 season with Amari Cooper traded to Cleveland and Michael Gallup recovering from a torn ACL sustained late in 2021. Expect the Cowboys to feature the run in those first few games to try and dominate games.
We are not ready to count out #21 just yet, we’ll take the over please…
OddsCritic Betting Prediction and Best Bet
- Ezekiel Elliott OVER 850.5 rushing yards in 2022 at -112 (DraftKings).
NB: Odds correct when selection made Friday August 5, 2022